The results are not a recommendation for where solar should be installed. While the map is quite granular in its analysis, state officials are quick to caution that it is not intended to be prescriptive. The land may be protected from development or too small to host a solar array, for example. These parcels have been deemed unsuitable by the state for a variety of reasons. If you play around with the map, you’ll see that some parcels have no rating and are grayed out. You can also search by the six criteria if you click on the tab labeled “suitability maps” near the top of the website. Dark blue means there’s high potential, teal is medium potential, yellow is one step below that and orange is low-potential. To help make the information useful for municipalities and developers, the researchers also created a mapping tool that helps show where solar could be installed with the fewest negative consequences.ĭOER This screenshot shows what you see when you click on a parcel in the mapping tool. The study is the first time the state has analyzed solar capacity at this granular of a level. “This tool allows us to identify pockets where the most suitable solar potential is, and direct investment and resources towards prioritizing solar in those areas.” “With the study results, we can be strategic about where and what kinds of solar we deploy,” Elizabeth Mahony, commissioner of the Department of Energy Resources, said in a statement.
However, only 52 of those potential gigawatts are deemed “top-rated,” meaning they scored well among six criteria, like whether the parcel serves as critical habitat for animals or would require costly electrical infrastructure upgrades to support solar development. The report finds that the state could theoretically put up to 506 gigawatts of solar on rooftops, over parking lots or on ground-mounted installations. Currently, there are about 3 gigawatts installed - so it’s a tall order.īut according to a new study from the state’s Department of Energy Resources, there’s more than enough suitable land (and rooftops) to build what the state needs without compromising sensitive environmental areas, farmland and other valuable natural resources. For Massachusetts to meet it ambitious clean energy goals, the state needs to build between 25 and 35 gigawatts of solar capacity by 2050.
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